China Issues 3 New Standards for Online Home Services

China’s State Administration for Market Regulation (SAMR) on July 30 released three new national standards to regulate the entire process of online home services, targeting consumer pain points in the rapidly growing trillion-yuan market. The standards, published jointly with the Standardization Administration of China (SAC), will take effect on November 1, 2026.

According to CCTV News, the regulations are designed to make e-commerce home services “more transparent, reliable, and reassuring” for consumers.

“聚焦日常电商家政消费痛点，规范线上家政服务全流程，让电商家政服务更透明、更靠谱、更安心,” the SAMR stated in its announcement, emphasizing the focus on everyday consumer pain points and the goal of bringing full-process regulation to the sector.

Why This Matters Now

The new standards arrive at a pivotal moment for China’s home services industry. In 2024, industry revenue hit 1.23 trillion yuan, fueled by an aging population requiring elderly care, the three-child policy boosting demand for childcare and postnatal services, rising disposable incomes, and rapid urbanization creating more dual-income households. The national home service credit information platform has already collected data on over 20,000 enterprises and more than 16.7 million worker credit records as of March 2025. The government also operates regular vocational training programs that train approximately 1.5 million workers annually.

Despite this explosive growth, the sector has long been plagued by inconsistent service quality, security concerns about allowing unfamiliar workers into homes, difficulty verifying worker credentials, and opaque dispute resolution processes. These pain points have hindered consumer trust and limited the industry’s full potential.

The Three New Standards

As detailed in the SAMR official announcement, the three standards address different dimensions of the online home services ecosystem:

General Service Principles (GB/T 47802—2026)

This standard establishes the foundational framework for e-commerce home services. It defines two primary operating models — platform-operated and third-party agency — and sets requirements for service consultation, ordering, process monitoring, payment, evaluation, and follow-up procedures. Platforms are required to strengthen internal systems for service standards, quality management, credit evaluation, and information security.

Personnel Entry Review Requirements (GB/T 47803—2026)

This standard targets the critical gateway of worker onboarding onto platforms. It establishes five core principles: legality, confidentiality, objectivity, timeliness, and convenience. The standard specifies information collection requirements — including identity documents, resumes, and medical reports — and mandates verification processes covering identity, credentials, background, credit, health, and experience. A periodic review mechanism ensures that worker qualifications remain current.

Service Quality Evaluation Index System (GB/T 47948—2026)

This standard creates a comprehensive two-dimensional evaluation framework. It divides quality into basic service quality (covering platform construction and management) and transaction process quality (covering pre-transaction, in-transaction, and post-transaction stages). The system breaks down into 17 specific third-level indicators, providing regulators, platforms, and consumers with a unified yardstick for assessing service quality.

Building a Complete Regulatory Framework

These three standards complement GB/T 45440—2025 “E-commerce Home Services - Capability Information Description of Domestic Service Personnel,” released last year. Together, the four standards now cover the entire operational chain: platform operations → personnel access → capability description → service quality evaluation.

What This Means

For consumers, the standards promise greater transparency when booking services online, stronger safety protections through standardized background checks, and clearer avenues for dispute resolution and refunds.

For online platforms, the regulations introduce clear operational benchmarks. Companies will need to invest in compliance systems, worker verification infrastructure, and quality management processes to meet the new requirements.

For domestic service workers, standardized entry rules may raise the bar for joining platforms but simultaneously enhance professional recognition and career prospects.

For the broader industry, analysts at the China Research Institute anticipate accelerated consolidation, with smaller and non-compliant operators facing pressures while enhanced consumer trust could expand overall market demand. The trillion-yuan market is entering a critical phase of standardization and smart transformation.

Looking Ahead

The standards become enforceable on November 1, 2026, giving platforms and service providers a three-month adjustment period. Key open questions remain: How will enforcement work across China’s diverse regional markets? Can smaller platforms absorb the compliance costs? And how will consumer awareness of the new protections be raised?

What is clear is that China’s home services industry — long characterized by fragmented, informal operations — is taking a decisive step toward professionalization. These standards represent more than technical regulations; they are a foundation for building trust in a market that touches the daily lives of hundreds of millions of Chinese households.”}